5 Ideas for Boosting Your Creative Side

Getting yourself out of a creative rut can be an exhausting endeavor. Maybe you’re stuck on a design or plan for work and can’t seem to make any progress on it, or maybe you want to start a new project but are struggling to find any inspiration. Don’t force the creativity, but instead, try a few of these tips to get the juices flowing again.

Get moving

Physical exercise is actually very helpful in encouraging creativity. The brain creates new neurons in the brain’s memory center while we’re engaged in physical activity and can stimulate new thought patterns. Simply put, it helps your brain clear out the clutter and get a better perspective. Go for a run, swim, bike ride, or jog to clear your head and burn off some steam. At the very least, take a brisk walk.

Get outside

Many people don’t realize that nature can be incredibly healing—even just being around it can ease stress and increase your overall wellbeing. Find a comfortable, scenic spot somewhere near your home or office that you can escape to when you’re in need of a break. Often the mere change of scenery can give you new perspective. Take a moment to step outside, breathe deeply, and clear your head. Enjoy the simplicity and beauty of nature. If possible, take regular breaks like this as often as you can to get nature boosts throughout your busy week.

Look to the past

Sometimes answers for the present can be found in the past, and you never know when your project could benefit from going a little retro. Try looking at completed projects, favorite pieces of art you’ve completed, or the objects that inspired you to create those works in the first place. Was it a technique you adapted to your own needs? An idea? You can even look back at decades-old works of art, advertisements, or even architectural designs and see what ideas you may discover.

Focus on a fun challenge

It’s more than possible that what your brain really needs is a bit of a break, but you also don’t want to lose momentum. Find the happy medium by playing a quick game of cards or do a puzzle like sudoku, a crossword, or a word search. Taking on a low-pressure challenge can ease your tension, but you’ll still be getting mental exercise that can help you work out the problem. You won’t lose the pace you’ve been working at, and you might not even have to play an entire match or finish the puzzle before you’ve found a new perspective.

Avoid drugs and alcohol

Many legendary writers and artists abused drugs and alcohol. As a result, a lot of people believe that substances like drugs and alcohol can enhance creativity. Don’t give in to this myth. Your best ideas will come to you when you’re well-rested and clear-minded. Abusing drugs and alcohol will only lead to problems down the road that could seriously derail your creative pursuits. If you think you may have an addiction, get help right away.

Try something completely new

It’s been shown that students who study abroad tend to be more creative problem solvers because they get exposure to foreign cultures, customs, and practices. But the truth is, you don’t have to go abroad to reap these kinds of benefits! Throwing yourself out of your comfort zone is the quickest way to get a new perspective, so find an easy way to broaden your horizons. Even going for a walk at the local Korean market or heading to the Italian sandwich shop for lunch can stimulate new sights, smells, and sounds that could generate new ideas. If you can’t travel too far, reflect on an exotic place you’ve been to, or look up photos and videos of locations you hope to visit someday.

Hitting a creative block is frustrating, but it can be easier to overcome if you have a strategy. Figure out which of these ideas works best for you, and adapt them as you need to. Soon you’ll be able to power right past those pesky creative blocks!

13 Health Benefits of Pumpkin,

According to Science

(+8 Pumpkin Recipes)

A solid foundation for overcoming learning problems is good mental and bodily health. Here is a guest article about the extensive health benefits of the “lowly” pumpkin (not just at Halloween, but year round), courtesy of Jesse Miller:

Pumpkin offers major health benefits that go beyond those of other superfoods I’ve come across. Even though pumpkins are seasonal foods, they’re full on flavor and nutrition. You can make pumpkin puree, serve mashed pumpkins with chicken recipes, or add them in your soups. There’s so much to gain from pumpkin as a superfood for a healthier lifestyle.

Pumpkins are characterized by high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin E, dietary fiber, thiamin, and folate. They also contain a good amount of dietary zinc and manganese that reduces inflammation and lowers level of neurological damage in healthy individuals. They’re good for heart health, healthy vision, anti-cancer benefits, and for the treatment of high blood pressure conditions.

Other than a Thanksgiving treat, pumpkins are popularly cooked for low-calorie meals. Looking at the way pumpkin benefits the human body, it’s a surprise why you haven’t gotten the most out of it, yet.

See the 13 Health Benefits of Pumpkin (+ 18 Pumpkin Recipes) at this link:

4 Teachers Share Why

They Love Their Work

A rising demand for teachers and a decreased supply is creating a teacher shortage in the U.S. At ReadyJob, we wanted to do something about that. So, in an effort to inspire today’s young people to consider becoming teachers, we decided to highlight the best aspects of the profession. We reached out to teachers and asked them what they found most rewarding about teaching. Below are some of the reasons they gave:

Teachers prepare students for the future

If you’re not in education, you might think a teacher’s job is about sticking to the books–teaching students the “3 Rs” curriculum used to prepare them for end of grade testing. And that’s certainly part of what they do, but as Doc Meek of DocMeek.com notes they often do much more than that. He wrote in to share why he loves teaching and said it’s because the work gives him “the potential of helping students thrive long-term.” And really, isn’t that exactly what our teachers do? Whether they’re teaching physics or history or a broader life lesson on avoiding drugs or developing conflict resolution skills, our teachers impact their students’ lives long after they leave the classroom.

Teachers help students find their voice

Teachers are in a unique position to guide students as they grow and learn. And Vanessa Lasdon of Word-Ink.net reminds us that students aren’t just learning about the subjects being taught to them, they’re also learning about themselves.

“While there are countless rewarding aspects to teaching–not the least of which is the incredible education I receive in return each day–above all as an English teacher, I love encouraging my students to find their voice and share it with the world,” says Lasdon. “Learning—like writing—starts with great daring.”

Teachers get to teach students new things

If you’ve never seen a child grasp a new concept for the first time, you’re missing out. Teachers show children the world, opening doors for them that were previously closed. For Jennifer Greenleaf of JenniferGreenleaf.com, opening those doors is one of the things she loves most about her profession.

“The most rewarding aspect of teaching is watching the children around me during their most transformative years learning new skills and applying them,” says Greenleaf. “It’s exciting because, under most circumstances, they’re enjoying what they’re doing and it’s fun coming back to encourage the lessons to continue.”

Teachers help students develop a passion for learning

Learning shouldn’t stop when you graduate from high school (or even college, for that matter!). Learning should be a lifelong practice, and as Amy Loring of TwoTeachersontheEdge.com notes, teachers are central to helping students develop that appetite.

“To reach every student by connecting and encouraging them daily should be an educator’s goal,” says Loring. “Teaching is not just standing in front of the class spewing information and lecturing, it is to inspire the desire to want to learn and discover even more. Inspiring the love of learning and finding the hidden gifts of each of your students is life altering for both the student and for the teacher. When you show a child what they can be, you really are changing the world. This passion must show, this love of the child and learning has to be your daily purpose.”

As you can see, teachers are asked to do a lot. But through their interactions with students, they get a lot in return. If you’re considering education for your profession, rest assured that there are students out there who need you.

I began teaching a college level course and in my second class I introduced the students to contemplative pedagogy (that is mindfulness meditation). And they, physics students, loved it!

https://www.hastac.org/u/jose-alvarez-cornett

Thank you, Jose Alvarez-Cornett!

In this world of ours, so obsessed with intellectual content, logic, intellectual reasoning, hard science, and so on, it is refreshing to find someone (Jose Alvarez-Cornett, above) who knows it is also important for all students to think with their heart, to seek peace within as a proven means for more effective learning.

Want to study easier and remember longer?

If you wish fervently to study easier and remember longer, know that your emotional state of mind is a “priming pump for the best flow of water” you can experience as a living, loving lifelong learner!

Peace within = peace without (including important learning tasks).

Doc Meek, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, Sat, Oct 22, 2016

P.S. People who say that “contemplative pedagogy” or “mindfulness meditation” is a religion and have no place in public institutions of learning know neither the learning capability of the human mind, nor what religion is.

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